The federal government seems to be
quite happy with dishing out money for environmentally
friendly ventures, and there are plenty of companies that are
willing to take the funds and put them to good use. One such company
is Tesla Motors.

Tesla Motors is probably most notable
for its sexy
all-electric Roadster. The $100,000+ sports car, which is based
on the Lotus Elise chassis, has a driving range of 244 miles – one
Tesla Roadster, however, was able to travel
313 miles on a single charge -- and can zip to 60 mph in less
than four seconds. However, Tesla is looking to take its electric
car-building prowess to a somewhat more mainstream audience with its
four-door Model S electric sedan.

This is where the federal government
steps in to work its magic. According
to the Detroit News, Tesla Motors today closed on a
deal to secure $465 million in low-cost loans from the Energy
Department. The funds will be used to build manufacturing plants in
California for the Model S and its powertrain.

The company was originally approved
for the loan back in June of 2009. The $465 million will come
from the Advanced
Technology Vehicle Manufacturing Program which is providing a
total of $25 billion to automakers that develop new fuel efficient
vehicles. Other notable names to get in on the loans include Nissan
($1.6 billion) and Ford ($5.9 billion).

"This is an investment in our
clean energy future that will create jobs and reduce our dependence
on foreign oil," said Energy Secretary Steven Chu.

"It will help build a customer
base and begin laying the foundation for American leadership in the
growing electric vehicles industry. This is part of a sustained
effort to develop and commercialize technologies that will be broadly
deployed throughout the American auto industry."

As previously reported by DailyTech,
the Model S will have a driving
range of up to 300 miles and can dash to 60 mph in 5.5 seconds.
The fetching sedan weighs in at a portly 4,000 pounds (1,200 pounds of
which comes from its lithium-ion battery pack). If all goes according
to plan, the base Model S will cost around $50,000 after a
government-backed $7,500 tax credit is taken into consideration. For
comparison, the Chevrolet Volt is expected to cost
in the “low 30s” after the $7,500 tax credit is applied. At
that price point, GM still contends that it can make a profit.

The Model S is scheduled to go into
production in 2012 and yearly output is pegged at 20,000 units per
year.

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People are getting real sick of this handout business, especially when we know its straight debt and could cost everyone a decent future. There is some real anger building in this country. The silent majority doesn't stay silent forever.

Americans will always be in debt because of their own stupidity regardless of what the government does. If the average citizen can't control their spending, the government is under no obligation to do so either. Stupid, corrupt citizens deserve stupid, corrupt governments. All is as it should be.

quote: Americans will always be in debt because of their own stupidity regardless of what the government does. If the average citizen can't control their spending, the government is under no obligation to do so either. Stupid, corrupt citizens deserve stupid, corrupt governments. All is as it should be.

We bailed out the world the last century and have gotten no payback from anyone. You think you're high and mighty but lets go back to WWII and let Japan and Germany take over and see where you'd all be now if we didn't go save your ass.

It's nothing to do with citizens of the US at all. It's politicians in power pushing an agenda and ramming it through. Perhaps you should try living here and read up on how the government here is run before you run your mouth. On second thought, I'd rather not let people like you in.

It's easy to remain strong when nobody can touch you... The US was in a great position by being protected by the two biggest oceans in the world. Had the Germans finished the V9 the whole story could have been different.

That said, yes, they helped, but other countries did too.

And to say the US didn't get anything is return is absurd. Go back to the history books and you will know what I'm talking about.

quote: It's easy to remain strong when nobody can touch you... The US was in a great position by being protected by the two biggest oceans in the world.

Yes, that is a REASON for why the US was so instrumental in the war effort. That also explains why the US was so crucial to the rebuilding effort, as well: It was pretty much the only industrialized country essentially untouched (property and material-wise) after the war. That's also why the US was in such a prime position to rise as a superpower, when prior to the World Wars it was still a fairly minor player on the global stage.

Wrong, the US fought the British for 5 years before French troops landed and actually contributed to the war. Of course they remained neutral until the US actually had the upper hand and showed they might win this war after all.

Not to mention the French were devastated after the Seven Years war and was in no position to be of assistance to anyone. They managed a good showing in the last year of the war. Some troops finally hit the ground and a major naval battle. But at the time the British were backed up in Yorktown ready for savior from the British navy. But we can't let that get in the way of any facts.

Its unlikely they would have ever been able to return in sufficient numbers to do any good, the US was growing far too fast at this point.

Maybe if you stopped sucking the BBC's teet you might learn a thing or two yourself.

Good thing you don't have a say on who gets in. Then all we'd have is semi literate nincompoops who are always pissed off at stuff they don't even understand...and are proud of it.We fought WW2 to save OUR ass you fool.We rebuilt Europe to save OUR ass retard.We rebuilt Japan to save OUR ass you stupid goof.All of the aid that goes overseas is to support OUR interest OUR business OUR political power.All of the post war bail out that you're talking about was to contain Communism you idiot.WE have benifited far more as a result of all this stuff than anybody overseas.Whatever it is that you're reading and mindlessly repeating is wrong..that is if you can read at all.Next week some other dumb-ss will repeat something stupid and hatefull and you will pick it up and run with it

As a European (British national living in France, working in Switzerland..... a true european ;) ), it is scary how quickly Americans can confirm the european vision/stereotype of a typical american -of being arrogant, ignorant asses (like CmdrdKook). I wish more Americans like you made their opinion heard - it would save USA's global image.

Yes you did "save" us (or give us a helping hand to save the rest of europe - the Battle of Britain was what stopped Britain being invaded, you helped us liberate the rest), yes you did help rebuild after WW2 but you did it for yourselves as much as us. (we declared war on Japan, so you were "politically" forced to declare war on Germany, and all the other reasons you mentioned).

"Paying an extra $500 for a computer in this environment -- same piece of hardware -- paying $500 more to get a logo on it? I think that's a more challenging proposition for the average person than it used to be." -- Steve Ballmer